Battle of the Bands
by Cardinal Quinn
Summary: Ladies and gents, welcome to the annual Vale Battle of the Bands! 'Red Like Roses' thinks they have things in the bag this year, but when a new group appears, they may have to pull out all the stops to win against 'Shining Arc! Major Firewall (Jaune x Yang) with a bit of Arkos jealousy, and some ReNora! AU, so no Grimm, just fun, drama, and shenanigans! Omakes included!
1. Shining Who?

Battle of the Bands

Chapter 1: Shining Who?

"Ladies and gentlemen! I'm your host, Velvet Scarletina, and tonight we've got an amazing show for you! Surely a night you're never going to forget! That's right folks, it's the annual Vale battle of the bands! We've got groups from all over, each with their own style! So let's get the festivities started with our intro act, DJ Ted-3!" Velvet gave a quick curtsy, signaling the dj to start the music before walking off the stage. "Hey Yatsu, is our first act here? They're on in just a few minutes!"

A blonde girl kicked in the door backstage, bass guitar in hand. She wore leather boots, a jacket, and a tank top, with spandex shorts. "Come on! We're on in three! Get the lead out! Sorry we're late!" She strummed a few lines on her bright yellow bass. "Me and ember celica aren't waiting around all night!"

"Yaaaaaaaaang! Could you help please!" cried another girl, her short hair stuck to her head under a red beanie. "At least get the door-ah!" she yelled as the door swung back towards her.

A dark haired girl pushed the door back open, keyboard under her arm, eyes rolled. "Yang, you could have at least held the door. Ruby, mind helping me get set up?" She set her keyboard down before straightening the black bow atop her head.

"Sure thing, Blake! I guess Pyrrha and Weiss are helping No-"

"NORA!" Yelled a redhead as she burst through the door, bass drum held above her head. Her black shirt clashed with the bright pink writing on it with the word 'Boop' across it.

A darker haired redhead and a white haired girl soon appeared, each carrying a drum. "Nora, could you calm down just a bit? Perhaps save your energy for the performance?"

Nora laughed, setting up her kit. "But Pyrrha! Ren's gonna be here! He's even performing with his band!" Her eyes lit up like stars at the thought of her beloved childhood friend. "Besides, if we win then maybe Ren and I could be more than just together and be together-together and thenwecouldholdhandsandgoondatesandthenmaybeonedayevengetmarrie-"

"Enough!" Weiss shouted, getting Nora out of her rant. "We need to get set, make sure we're warmed up, and win this! Enough dawdling you dunces!" The white haired girl finally spoke, bossy as could be.

Yang rolled her eyes at her, grinning wildly. "Oh chill out, Ice Queen. With you and Pyrrha on vocals, Ruby and I rocking it out, Blakey here on her ivory keys and synth, and Nora being well…Nora on the drums, there's no way we can lose! And we still have-"

"Alright everyone, looks like it's time for our first group, let's give a warm welcome to Red Like Roses!" Velvet yelled as the curtain opened on the girls.

Ruby let out an "EEP!" before plugging in her red guitar. "Amps on!"

"Thank you for having us tonight!" Weiss announced, smiling politely. "We hope you enj-"

"WE ARE RED LIKE ROSES! ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR!" Nora shouted, clacking her drumsticks together.

The lights dimmed and Ruby and Yang began on the guitar and bass lines, slowly building up. Lights flashed red and gold on the two as they opened the began singing the opening line, her voice soft and bright.

(This Will Be the Day - Jeff Williams)

 _They see you as small and helpless;_

 _They see you as just a child._

 _Surprise when they find out that a warrior will soon run wild._

Pyrrha took over for the second verse, hair flowing as she swayed with the music.

 _Prepare for your greatest moments;_

 _Prepare for your finest hour._

 _The dream that you've always dreamed is suddenly about to flower._

 _We are lightning,_

 _Straying from the thunder,_

 _Miracles of ancient wonder._

At this point, Weiss joined back in, both she and Pyrrha belting out the vocals, Blake on backup, and Nora picking up the tempo and going wild on the drums.

 _This will be the day we've waited for._

 _This will be the day we open up the door._

 _I don't wanna hear your absolution;_

 _Hope you're ready for a revolution._

 _Welcome to a world of new solutions._

 _Welcome to a world of bloody evolution._

 _In time, your heart will open minds,_

 _A story will be told,_

 _And victory is in a simple soul._

The crowd was cheering as Ruby and Yang strummed into the next verse, Pyrrha taking lead.

 _Your world needs a great defender._

 _Your world's in the way of harm._

 _You want a romantic life; a fairytale that's full of charm._

Blake took lead as purple lights began to shine on her, giving her an ominous look.

 _Beware that the light is fading;_

 _Beware if the dark returns._

 _This world's unforgiving, even brilliant lights will cease to burn._

 _Legends scatter._

 _Day and night will sever._

 _Hope and peace are lost forever._

A red spotlight shone on Ruby as she broke into a guitar solo, backed up by Yang and Nora. The crowd roared as Ruby shredded out notes, grinning wildly as Pyrrha and Weiss began the vocals again.

 _This will be the day we've waited for._

 _We are lightning._

 _Welcome to a world of new solutions._

 _This will be the day we've waited for._

 _This will be the day we open up the door._

 _I don't wanna hear your absolution;_

 _Hope you're ready for a revolution._

 _Welcome to a world of new solutions._

 _Welcome to a world of bloody evolution._

 _In time, your heart will open minds,_

 _A story will be told,_

 _and victory is in a simple soul._

Ruby and Yang finished the song with power chords, Pyrrha and Weiss belting out the final lyrics. The crowd burst into applause, cheering for the girls. Ruby sheepishly ran her hand behind her head, while Yang held up a peace sign, grinning madly. Pyrrha and Weiss gave a quick bow, as Blake and Nora simply offered a wave.

"That. Was. Killer! Let's give one more round of applause for Red Like Roses! We'll have a few minute intermission, and then we'll bring out our next group!" Velvet said to the audience as the curtain closed. "Ladies, that was incredible! Take a rest for a bit, and head to the V.I.P. lounge on the upper level. There's drinks and anything you may need up there, plus you get a great view of the stage!" She headed offstage to help the next band sign in.

Red Like Roses stored their equipment in their designated area before heading up to the V.I.P. lounge. Blake and Yang chatted about the dynamics from the last song, while Ruby began to berate herself.

"Was that good? Did we actually do good or were they just saying that? Maybe I should go back down and work on crescent rose for a bit bef-"

"RUBY. We did fine, you dolt! They loved us! And why wouldn't they?" Weiss cut her off, smiling slightly pompously. "There's no way we can lose this! Now according to the schedule listed here, the next group is called 'Shining Arc'. What an absolutely ridiculous name for a band! What idiots would call themselves tha-"

"Now let's give it up for Shining Arc! These bad boys came all the way from Vacuo city for this, so without further ado, Shining Arc!" Velvet announced, signaling the curtains to open.

Weiss cocked an eyebrow in confusion. "Shining Who? Who in the world names their band something lik-"

The club blackened, and suddenly the sound of drums burst from the back of the stage, with the drummer only lit from behind in silhouette. Soon, a bass guitar was heard as the bassist was lit from behind, with the guitar and guitarist following. They played out a few more notes before the lights flashed on the stage as the lead singer ran out center stage. His blonde hair flying as he broke out into the opening verse with the blue haired bassist and black haired guitarist on backup vocals.

(Chelsea Dagger - The Fratellis)

 _Owwwwwwwww! Duh duh duh da da da duh duh duh duh duh duh duh_

 _Duh duh duh da da da duh duh duh duh duhhhhh_

 _Do do do do do do do do do do do do do_

 _Do do do do do do do do do do do_

"What in the world?!" Weiss yelled, her voice drowned out by the boys on stage.

 _Well you must be a girl with shoes like that_

 _She said you know me well_

 _I seen you and little Steven and Joanna_

 _Round the back of my hotel oh yeah_

 _Someone said you was asking after me_

 _But I know you best as a blagger_

 _I said tell me your name is it sweet?_

 _She said my boy it's Dagger oh yeah_

The drummer let out a quick drum roll before the boys all yelled "HEY!"

 _I was good she was hot_

 _Stealin' everything she got_

 _I was bold she was over the worst of it_

 _Gave me gear thank you dear bring yer sister over here_

 _Let her dance with me just for the hell of it_

Yang cocked an eyebrow as the blonde boy sang and leaned over to Blake. "Wouldn't mind dancing with blondie down there at all." Blake sighed and kept her eyes on the drummer, blushing at the thought of doing the same with him.

 _Duh duh duh da da da duh duh duh duh duh duh duh_

 _Duh duh duh da da da duh duh duh duh duhhhhh_

 _Do do do do do do do do do do do do do_

 _Do do do do do do do do do do do_

 _Well you must be a boy with bones like that_

 _She said you got me wrong_

 _I would've sold them to you_

 _If I could've just have kept the last of my clothes on oh yeah_

 _Call me up take me down with you_

 _When you go I could be your regular belle_

 _And I'll dance for little Steven and Joanna_

 _Round the back of my hotel oh yeah_

The lead pointed up and down as he sang, mimicking the lyrics.

 _I was good she was hot_

 _Stealin' everything she got_

 _I was bold she was over the worst of it_

 _Gave me gear thank you dear bring yer sister over here_

 _Let her dance with me just for the hell of it_

The vocalist backed off as the drummer, guitarist, and bassist broke into a trio.

The drummer's spiked hair bounced as he beat on the drums, his chest muscles doing the same through his white shirt. The buttons were completely undone, leaving nothing to Blake's, or anyone else's imagination.

The bassist wore goggles over his eyes, grinning madly as he flipped his blue hair back and forth to the music. He looked up into the VIP area and grinned at Weiss, causing her to blush.

"Why the nerve of him! How dare he just-" she began stammering, again drowned out by the music as Ruby and Yang laughed at her.

Nora's eyed were glued to the guitar player, his long, black hair tied down his back, the one streak of magenta waving as he played his solo. "GO REN!" she screamed, causing him to smile.

The solo began to pick back up and the singer stepped forward again, having been dancing to the music.

 _Chelsea Chelsea I believe when you're dancing_

 _Slowly sucking your sleeve_

 _The boys get lonely after you leave_

 _It's one for the Dagger and another for the one you believe_

 _Chelsea I believe when you're dancing_

 _Slowly sucking your sleeve_

 _The boys get lonely after you leave_

 _It's one for the Dagger, another for the one you believe_

 _Duh duh duh da da da duh duh duh duh duh duh duh_

 _Duh duh duh da da da duh duh duh duh duhhhhh_

 _Do do do do do do do do do do do do do_

 _Do do do do do do do do do do do Yeah!_

"Thank you ladies and gentlemen! I'm Jaune Arc, singer of Shining Arc! Give it up for Lie Ren on guitar, Sun Wukong on drums, and Neptune Vasilias on bass!" Jaune announced over the cheering crowd. We'll hopefully see you all in a bit!" The other boys raised their fists in the air, cheering as they walked off stage.

Velvet walked back center stage as the curtain closed. "Wow! That was something special! That's gonna be a hard act to follow, so we're taking a fifteen minute intermission! Give one more big cheer for Shining Arc!"

The crowd cheered once more as the dj began to play general club music. Yang was still on her feet, cheering for the boys.

"Yeah Shining Arc! Bet ladykiller down there wouldn't mind taking a Xiao Long look at me-HEY!" Yang shouted as she was dragged back to her seat by Weiss.

"Yang, focus! They were good. VERY good. We're going to have to step it up in the next round if we even want a hope of winning this, so we need to set some rules, now." The heiress declared, earning a groan from her bandmates. "Hush! Now, rule number one, no talking directly about any of our songs to the other bands. We don't want them knowing anything that could give them an edge in this competition. Number two, and Xiao Long this goes out ESPECIALLY to you: No flirting with any other band! They are the enemy, and we need to crush them!" Weiss slammed her fist down on the table, startling the dozing Ruby.

"WAH!" Ruby cried as her hands flew up in defense. "Wei-" she yawned. "-ss! Calm down! So the boys were good, doesn't mean we can't beat them next round!"

"Oh we were just good huh? Guess we'll have to pick it up next round!" Sun said from the stairs, leading Shining Arc to the girls table. Sun plopped down next to Blake, who flushed as his arm went over her shoulder. "Sup losers?"

Weiss' jaw dropped at Sun's actions. "How dare you! We were in the middle of a priv-" She was silenced as a hand went on her shoulder.

"Hey there Snow Angel, he doesn't mean any harm, just a friendly guy is all. Speaking of friendly, I'm Neptune." Neptune flashed her a charming grin as everyone else watched in horror.

After a moment of silence that seemed like eternity, Weiss let out a giggle. **A/N: Had this been an anime, everyone would have fallen over stunned, but this is real life. Come on now.**

"Well Neptune, it's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Weiss." She said prim and proper.

Everyone let out a sigh as the bomb was defused, Weiss offering Neptune a seat next to her. Jaune and Ren began walking to join the group.

"Hey girls, I'm-" Jaune started before being bowled over by Nora tacking Ren to the ground.

"REN! That. Was. Amazing! You guys were so cool and Jaune was like DER DER DER DER DER DER and Sun was like BOOM BOOM BOOM BA BOOM BOOM and Neptune was like DUH DUH DUH DUH DUH and you were like WOWOWOWOWOWOWOWO and-"

"Nora?" Ren interrupted.

"Yes Ren?"

"It's nice to see you too." He smiled at her, causing her to blush.

Nora reached out with one free hand, poking him on the nose. "Boop!" She smiled as she got off of him, dragging him to her seat to talk.

Jaune remained laying on the floor, stunned by Nora. Yang walked over and leaned down to him, knowingly giving him a generous look. "You alright there, ladykiller?" She grinned.

"Wha?" Jaune stammered before his vision came back into focus with Yang's chest right over his eyes. "Ah! I, uh!" His eyes quickly darted to hers, blue meeting violet. She smiled honestly and helped him to his feet.

"So, Jaune was it? I'm Yang, and you were great down there! Where did you learn to bust a move like that?"

Jaune grinned sheepishly and scratched the back of his head. "Well these things tend to happen when you have seven sisters."

"Oh that makes sense. I've got a sister to-SEVEN SISTERS?!" Yang shouted, the music going silent as she did. A blush crept to her face as the silence continued for a few more seconds, before the club went back to normal.

Ruby stepped forward, lightly clearing her throat ."Ahem, what Yang was trying to say is that she has a sister too! Me! Hi, I'm Ruby, remember?!" She bounced as she spoke, her voice filled with excitement.

Jaune looked at Ruby, a confused look on his face before turning into a wide grin. "RUBY!" he shouted, picking her up and swinging her around, causing Yang to frown for a split second before she smiled again.

" _What was that?"_ She thought. "Ruby…Jaune…mind explaining?"

Ruby rolled her eyes at her sister. "Yang, how could you forget Jaune?! He lived next door to us in Patch when we were little!"

Yang thought back, remembering brief images of a blonde boy playing with a toy sword in his backyard. "Now that I think about it, I remember a scrawny boy playing hero by himself from time to time."

Jaune blushed as Yang giggled at him. "It was cute, Jauney, don't worry." She smiled at him again.

Pyrrha stepped up to Jaune, hand going onto his shoulder. "Well Jaune, I must say your singing was impressive! Did you study anywhere?"

He blinked at her before laughing a bit. "Me? I wasn't that good, honest! I was singing in the showers in the locker room one day, Neptune told me he and Sun were looking to form a band, and the rest is history. Plus, I wasn't singing anything like down there, just my old summer camp's theme song…" He thought happily.

Pyrrha smiled at him, "Well it was wonderful!"

Yang frowned as Pyrrha flirted with Jaune, Ruby taking notice. "Yang, what's going on with you? Do you like Jaune or something?"

"Wha- Ruby that's ridiculous! Don't be…I mean how could I possibly…okay maybe my fellow blonde over there is cute, and he killed it on stage, AND we've known him forever and it only recently slipped my mind, but come on. Like him?" Yang flushed at her last few words.

Ruby rolled her eyes. "Hey Pyrrha, can you come over here for a second? I need to go over our next song with you! Yang, go talk to him!"

Pyrrha began to walk over, crossing paths with Yang, both feeling the tension in the air. "Hey Jaune, why don't you sit with me for the next song? We can catch up and stuff!" Yang said, eyes gleaming at him.

"I uh, well sure Yang! Anything to sit by a pretty lady like you! I mean-uh, yes!" Jaune blurted with false confidence as Yang laughed.

"Come on ladykiller, let's have a seat"

 **A/N: So that's chapter 1! A bit rough, but nothing too bad! Obviously I plan on going more into Jaune/Yang/Ruby's pasts with each other, so stay tuned! Also, Nora being adorable in this chapter warms my heart!  
**

 **Cinder: Almost as much as I warmed Pyrrha's heart!**

 **CQ: GET OUT OF HERE WITH THAT PAIN.**

 **Cinder: Fine. *WALKS OFF***

 **CQ: ANYWAYS! OH! Also, the songs played this chapter were 'This Will Be the Day' by Jeff Williams and 'Chelsea Dagger' by the Fratellis! Please review! Thanks!**


	2. Memories and Enemies

Battle of the Bands

Chapter 2: Memories and Enemies

The lights turned on the stage, and Velvet walked out onto the stage, mic in hand, crowd cheering for her. Shining Arc and Red Like Roses stopped their chatter and watched as the she sauntered out, her attire much different from before. Velvet wore brown bunny ears and a white tail over her clothes, now showing a bit more skin.

"Hey everyone! Hope you enjoyed the break! Now before we get our next band started, let's give one more round of applause for our first two groups! Give them some love!" She smiled, signaling the lights back to the V.I.P. area.

Yang gave two thumbs up, fists pumping as Weiss waved politely. Ruby waved shyly, Blake merely rolling her eyes. Sun and Nora had similar reactions, cheering back at the crowd. Ren gave a simple acknowledgment, and Pyrrha smiled. Jaune went red in the face, waving shyly like Ruby.

Yang looked at him in surprise. "Jaune, I don't get it. You were killing it down there on stage, busting a move and singing your lungs out! You had no fears! Then you get off stage and you're shy as can be. What's the deal?"

"Yang, I'm sure it's nothing to worry about. I actually find it charming that he's got such a stage presence, but it hasn't gone to his head." Pyrrha chimed in, placing her hand on Jaune's shoulder, causing the boy to blush once again.

" _Two can play it that game!"_ Yang thought, wrapping her arms around Jaune's free arm, squeezing him into her. "Oh I never said it was a problem. I like them a bit shy, makes the hunt more exciting!" She winked at Jaune.

" _What in the world is happening to me?"_ Jaune thought, with Pyrrha on his shoulder and Yang…pressed up against him. "I mean well, I uh…oh look, the third band is coming on stage!"

True to his word, the third band had taken the stage a bit early, the bassist shoving Velvet out of the way as she went to announce them. "Hey! Well…here's Red Wings of Death…" she said dismally, walking away with her head to the floor.

The bassist laughed and high-fived the guitarist as the drummer and keyboard player snickered in the background. Most of the audience frowned and some even booed, earning a death glare from the bassist. He signaled his drummer, who nodded. The bassist then turned up his volume, and began strumming the first notes.

(Sharkface - Jeff Williams)

The bassist violently strummed out the first few notes in a solo, shitfaced grim plastered on his face. As he strummed, he looked up towards the V.I.P. area, locking eyes with Jaune for a split second, giving him the worst kind of death glare one man can give another. Just as the solo began to end, Jaune could only think one thing.

" _What the fuck is with this guy?"_

The keyboard player broke Jaune's thought as he played a power chord, signaling the guitar player and drummer to join in. The keyboard player's fingers flew across the keys, taking lead for the first quarter of the song, before the guitar player had a short solo, followed by the drummer. The bass player mostly played the same chords throughout, giving Jaune the same evil look the entire time. Before the crowd knew it, the guitar player and the drummer finished the song with a duo, and despite the unappealing personality of the group, they cheered due to their talent. The three judges took things into account at their table, whispering a few words to Velvet as she walked back out.

"Well, once again, Red Wings of Death. Thanks for a…stellar performance. Please clear the stage for the next group, if you don't mind." Velvet said, much less enthusiastic than before. Her voice sounded shy, timid to do anything against the ginger brute of a bassist.

As the bassist turned to face her, a voice broke out from the balcony. "HEY BASS PLAYER! PICK ON SOMEONE YOUR OWN SIZE AND INTELLIGENCE!"

The girls of Red Like Roses and boys of Shining Arc turned their heads towards Jaune, mouths dropped. Jaune Arc, the shy but talented singer…tough? What?

Deciding she'd join in on the fun, Yang piped up. "Yeah ginger boy! Why don't you take your amateur bass playing and shove it up your as-" She was silenced as Ruby held a hand over her mouth, not wanting to cause a fight. Yang struggled, trying to get a word out. "Mmph mmph Wubhy weth me goh!"

Ruby latched onto Yang's back, hand still held over her mouth as the rest of the group laughed. Jaune spared a glance out towards the stage, where the bassist locked eyes with him before leaving the stage. He pointed at Jaune, then made a slash motion across his throat before walking off with his band mates.

Jaune gulped. _"Well so much for friendly competition. At least we have the girls here to back us up, though we're competing with them too…"_ he thought, being interrupted by a hand on his shoulder.

"You okay Jauney? I know it got tense with the meathead down there, but I don't think he'll bother us up here. No one can bother us up here!" Yang looked honestly into his eyes, smiling slightly, an old thought coming to her mind.

" _Ruby? Ruby, where'd you go?!" A young blonde shouted, pigtails flowing under her hat as she ran through the neighborhood. "Ruby Rose so help me if you're missing…just don't be!" Yang ran back towards their house, hoping to find her younger sister there. She opened the door, checking the usual spots (her room, Ruby's room, cookie jar, etc) before running out into the backyard. "RUBY!"_

" _Uhm, hello?" A meek voice said from over the fence. A tuft of blonde hair popped up over the boards, blue eyes coming into Yang's view. "I think I may have something that belongs to you." He waved a hand, signaling her to come to the gate._

 _The gate opened, and the boy came into view. He was around her height, with messy blonde hair. A bit scraggly looking in his oversized hoodie, causing Yang to raise an eyebrow. 'He isn't much to look at', she thought. "Look, I'm busy looking for my sister, so if you found a kite or something it isn't ours, so I'll just be goin-" she said before being silenced by the boy's finger on her lips._

" _Shhhh. Just come with me." He pointed up to a small fort in a tree. The two climbed a ladder, pushing open the hatch in the floor. Upon poking their heads inside, Yang saw exactly what the boy was talking about._

 _Curled up on a beanbag, hood over her face was a six year old Ruby Rose, fast asleep. Yang's mouth dropped slightly, before smiling, seeing the blanket over her and a plate of cookies next to her. "You did this for her?" She asked, smiling at the boy._

 _The boy blushed, running his hand through his hair. "Well yeah, she looked cold when I found her, so I closed the window and grabbed the blanket and cookies from my house. I figured I'd come down here and keep an eye out for anyone she'd know. I'm Jaune, by the way, Jaune Arc." He extended his hand to her, smiling shyly._

 _Yang took Jaune's hand, pulling him into a hug. "I'm Yang, and the kid is my sister Ruby. Jaune…thanks for finding her. I don't know what I'd do if something happened to her. It means a lot…" She said softly into his ear._

 _Jaune's face went beet red with the young girl so close to him, her breath warm in his ear. "I…uhm…it's no problem Yang. Just watching out for her. Besides, this place is such a safe spot, nothing can bother someone up here."_

" _Well, Jaune, since you found Ruby and kept her safe and warm, I suppose I should thank you properly." Yang said, blushing slightly as she pulled back from the hug._

 _Jaune blinked at her, not understanding what she meant. "Uhm, Yang? What exactly do you-" he said as she cut him off._

" _Shhh, Jaune. Just let me have this one." Yang said, before leaning in and lightly pressing her lips to his, pulling back after a peck. She was as red as Ruby's hood, matching her fellow blonde in front of her._

 _Jaune was awestruck, raising his fingers to his lips. His cheeks flushed red as he looked into the violet eyes of the girl in front of him. "Yang…I…wow that was ama-"_

" _Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaang!" cried out the voice of Ruby Rose from under her blanket. She turned, pulling the hood from her face, seeing the two red faced blondes in front of her. "Yang? Who's that boy, and why are you both blus- Are these cookies for me?"_

 _Jaune and Yang looked at each other before both turning to Ruby as quick as they could. "Actually yes! Jauney here thought you may want some after your nap, right Jaune?" Yang said, elbowing the boy in the ribs._

" _Hm? Right! Yes! I brought these up and the blanket, and don't worry, the cookies are fresh!" Jaune smiled at the young girl, her eyes lit up in awe. He laughed as she began to wolf the cookies down, smile on her face._

" _Ruby, slow down, save some for me! Jaune, help!" Yang plead, Jaune rushing over with a laugh._

Jaune blinked at her, before smiling at her softly. "Yeah, I suppose you're right. I doubt he'd try something with everyone up here. Sure didn't seem friendly to poor Velvet though…" He sighed. "Why would someone act like that?"

Yang shrugged, lips pursing. "Eh, bad home life, bad environment, compensation issues, any of the above really." She giggled as Jaune sputtered on his drink at her bit of sarcasm. "Seriously though Jaune, don't worry about him! You've got me around to protect you!"

Jaune rolled his eyes at Yang's suggestion that he needed protection. "Psh, I'm not the scrawny kid that I used to be!" He flexed his arm at her, showing off a bit of muscle.

" _Two can play it that game"_ she thought. "Oh yeah Jaune, mama Yang like!" She ran her hand up his arm, squeezing the muscle, breaking Jaune's air of confidence. She giggled again as he went red in the face once again.

"Alright everyone, sorry for the delay! Velvet here needed a break, so I'll be calling the shots this round! I'm Coco Adel, and you're in for a helluva show with this group, kids!" shouted a short girl in a beret, wearing sunglasses despite the dark lighting of the club. "Next up from the town of Mantle, we've got some funky fresh rhythms! Give it up for Never Miss A Beat!

 _ **RWBYRWBYRWBYRWBYRWBYRWBYRWBYRWBYRWBYRWBY**_

OMAKE

Jaune stood alone in the showers at the gym, just having played a vicious game of basketball with his friends. Looking around and seeing he was alone, Jaune relaxed under the water, enjoying some privacy. He started humming to himself as he let the water run over him, breaking out into full song as he got into it.

" _Oh..._

 _There's a place I know that's tucked away!_

 _A place where you and I can stay._

 _Where we can go to laugh and play,_

 _and have adventures every day!_

 _I know it sounds hard to believe but guys and gals it's true!_

 _Camp Campbell is the place for me and you!_

 _We'll swim through lakes and climb up trees,_

 _catch fish, bugs, bears, and honeybees!_

 _There's endless possibilities,_

 _and no that's not hyperbole!_

 _Our motto's Campe Diem and that means I'm telling you..._

 _We've got:_

 _archery_

 _hiking_

 _search and rescue_

 _biking_

 _horseback_

 _training that'll save you from a heart attack_

 _scuba diving_

 _miming_

 _keeping up with rhyming_

 _football_

 _limbo_

 _science_

 _stunting_

 _pre-calc_

 _spaceships_

 _treasure hunting_

 _bomb defusal_

 _no refusal_

 _fantasies_

 _circus trapeze_

 _and fights_

 _and ghosts_

 _and paints_

 _and snakes_

 _and knives_

 _and chess_

 _and dance_

 _and weights_

 _it's Camp Camp!"_

Jaune raised his fist as he finished the song, grin on his face. He opened his eyes to see Sun, Neptune, and Ren staring at him from the doorway, jaws dropped. "Oh! Guys! Uh, hey there?" Jaune asked nervously, shutting off the water and grabbing his towel from the hook nearby. _"Thank Oum for these privacy walls between the showers."_ he thought to himself.

"Jaune…what in the world was that song? I didn't even know you could sing!" Sun exclaimed. "Why didn't you tell us! We've been looking for a lead singer for weeks now!"

"Well it's just the old camp song from my…wait…lead singer? You guys have a band?" Jaune asked.

"WE HAVE A FULL ONE NOW! WELCOME ABOARD! Now come on! We have songs to write and women to woo!" Sun and Neptune shouted, dragging the protesting Jaune to the door.

Ren grinned and let out a sigh, grabbing Jaune's clothes from the bench for him. This was the beginning of a great adventure, he could feel it.

 **A/N: Sorry for the delay, but chapter two is done! Hoping you guys enjoyed this one, despite the lack of music happening in it, BUT as promised, I got into some of the Jaune/Yang backstory here, showing how they first met at least! No Arkos jealousy this round, as the focus had to be on the development of Jaune and Yang, as well as introducing our resident hated team, or in this case band, CRDL. Cardin and his goons are causing trouble as always, so stay tuned! Plus, can anyone guess who our next band will be? As usual, leave a review in the handy dandy review box, and let me know what you think! Plus, place your bets on the next band! Stay tuned!**


	3. FNKI Dance Break

Battle of the Bands

Chapter 3: FNKI Dance Break

Coco winked at the audience over her sunglasses, and walked off stage as 'Never Miss A Beat' took the stage. The drummer rolled out a strange electronic drum, the neon purple contrasting with his bright green hair. Following him was a girl with bright pink hair carrying a keytar, plunking out a few notes. A girl with bright orange hair tied in pigtails zoomed on stage wearing roller skates, followed by a man in a suit, carrying a trumpet.

"Hello…Psst, Flynt! Where are we again?" The roller skate girl asked her fedora clad band mate.

"Vale! Hello Vale! We're 'Never Miss A Beat'! You all ready to get down?" He shouted, causing a bit of cheering from the crowd. "Let's hit it, Neon!" He raised his trumpet, blasting a note towards the audience.

(Neon 'Jazz Techno' - Jeff Williams/Casey Lee Williams)

The keytar player joined in on his trumpet playing, before signaling the drummer to begin. Neon skated up to her wireless mic, snagging it off the stand, before she began to sing.

 _We're all born with a dream_

 _We wanna make come true_

Flynt joined back in, adding his own beats, almost giving a jazz/techno feel to the song.

 _The best will climb to the top like me_

 _The rest will end up like you_

 _I bet it's hard to live with_

 _Knowing that you'll never be this fine_

 _Don't be distraught, don't be sad_

 _You gave it your best try_

 _Listen, girlfriend, can't you see?_

 _I'm all of the things that you'll never be_

 _I'm cool like the rain and I'm hot like the sun_

 _I'm a neon rainbow and you're no fun_

At this point, Yang shouted "Let's dance!" earning a loud "YEAH!" from the two bands in the V.I.P. area. The group ran down the stairs to the dance floor, Yang clearing the way.

 _May be time to retreat_

 _You need a diva review_

 _You can see I never miss a beat_

 _Your makeover's long overdue_

The crowd had formed a circle around the two bands, everyone moving in their own way. Ren's dancing could only be described as martial arts, as he flipped and rolled in the air, occasionally striking out. Nora simply bounced around, laughing and cheering. Weiss was attempting to drag Neptune out into the circle, but he remained glued to his spot, his eyes wide and calm gone. Sun and Blake laughed from the side as Weiss attempted to drag the poor boy out.

 _Just try to understand this_

 _It's not that I am trying to outshine_

 _You've got your inner beauty_

 _We can't all be divine_

Ruby was doing the robot, earning a laugh from Jaune as he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned, seeing Pyrrha blushing red as her hair, hand extended to him. Jaune smiled and took her hand, spinning her into the circle with him. He danced in a fast ballroom style, spinning her around into a dip. Their faces close, both blushed deep shades of red.

 _Listen, girlfriend, can't you see?_

 _I'm all of the things that you'll never be_

 _I'm cool like the rain and I'm hot like the sun_

 _I'm a neon rainbow and you're no fun_

" _ENOUGH OF THAT!"_ Yang thought, stepping forward and spinning Jaune and Pyrrha back up, breaking into her own solo style dance, signaling the boy to watch. Pyrrha, still too flustered to do anything merely watched in a half daze.

 _No one likes a girl who wears a silly frown_

 _Just wear a smile and you'll turn it all around_

 _Just think of happy things, you'll see in no time_

 _Fun every day, the clouds roll away_

 _Try it, you'll see, just be more like me_

Yang reached out a hand to Jaune, who blinked, then took it, both breaking into a dance together. They moved fluidly with each other, Yang occasionally pressing herself against Jaune and shaking her way down his body. Jaune's adrenaline was pumping, as he was completely lost in the moment.

 _[Keytar Solo]_

 _Listen, girlfriend, can't you see?_

 _I'm all of the things that you'll never be_

 _I'm cool like the rain and I'm hot like the sun_

 _I'm a neon rainbow and you're no fun_

Jaune and Yang were pressed up against one another, sweating as their foreheads touched. The two were so lost in the moment, only seeing each other. Yang leaned her head forward, tilting it ever so slightly, Jaune doing the same. Their lips were less than an inch from each other…

"ALRIGHT! Give it up for 'Never Miss A Beat'! Talk about unorthodox, but damn were they killer! Jazz techno, very cool, kids!" Coco shouted, strutting back onto the stage. "And let's give it up for some of our other bands joining in on the party with their dancing skills!" She signaled the spotlight operators to the dance floor, the light flashing on Jaune and Yang, who jumped apart like they'd been caught doing something very wrong. Coco laughed, "Aww, young love. How adorable!" She taunted, earning some awws and snickers from the crowd. "Now, we're going to take a few minute reprieve, and then we have a special treat for you all!" She winked once again and strutted backstage as the curtain closed.

Sun walked over to Jaune, placing a hand on his shoulder. "You've gotta show me how to move like that! You were popping and locking, spinning and whirling! Awesome! Jaune? JAUNE!" Sun half shouted at the boy who shook his head out of his daydream.

"Wha? Oh! Yeah, sure thing, Sun!" Jaune stammered out, his adrenaline having finally died down and his body feeling the slight exhaustion from the dancing. He looked around for Yang, only to see her walking back to the V.I.P. area with Blake, the two apparently in deep conversation. Pyrrha had wandered off with Weiss, casting a longing glance back at Jaune before the two disappeared into the restroom.

"So Jaune, couldn't help but notice what was going on there. Two lovely ladies, both hot for you. Nice!" Neptune cheered, causing Jaune to blush again. "I mean things definitely got intense out there! You and Yang were like fire out there!"

Ren stepped up, arms crossed with a smirk on his face. "Not only that, but you and Pyrrha moved with grace and elegance, especially considering the speed of the song." Nora, having jumped on Ren's back, merely nodded her head, grinning wildly.

"Things really got intense out there. I mean Yang and I almost…and Pyrrha was right there and…oh man, this is bad!" Jaune half shouted as he was dragged over to the bar for refreshments.

"Yo barkeep, four Aura Bombs!" Sun shouted, the bartender nodding and disappearing behind the bar. The boys and Nora took a seat, Jaune placing his head in his hands. "Jaune, what's the big deal? Even Blake could tell that Yang was totally into you!"

Jaune nodded into the bar. "I mean, don't get me wrong, Yang and Pyrrha are both beautiful, but how could I possibly choose between them right now? I hardly know Pyrrha minus a bit of conversation, and I haven't seen Yang in 8 years!"

"Jaune, breathe. The competition goes on all week, so why not take your time? Reconnect with Yang AND get to know Pyrrha, THEN make a decision." Ren chirped in, once again placing a hand on Jaune's shoulder. There's a day off tomorrow, so why don't we get everyone together and do something? Nora and I can help you have your time with Yang, and I'm sure Sun and Blake could do the same to give you time with Pyrrha."

Nora nodded, smiling at the boy. "That's right, Jaune! Oh you're gonna love Pyrrha! Well not love-love, well not yet anyway. Not to say that she doesn't find you attractive because clearly she does and maybe you two can fall in love andgetmarriedonedayandmeandRencandothesam-"

"Nora!" Ren interrupted her once again.

Nora smiled once again. "Yes Ren?"

"Breathe." He grinned at her, causing her to blush ever so slightly.

Jaune let out a sigh as the bartender returned with the drinks. "Four Aura Bombs!" He set them out and walked off to another customer.

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Blake pulled Yang back to their booth upstairs, the blonde protesting as Ruby walked alongside them. "Blake, let me go! I'm fine!" Yang shouted, her plea unheard.

"Yang! What was that?! Pyrrha and Jaune were dancing, and you looked like you were gonna explode! Then after you and Jaune danced, you looked like you were about to kiss him! What's the deal, sis?!" Ruby demanded, arms and hands flailing as she spoke.

Blake let out a sigh, allowing Ruby to finish. "She's not wrong, Yang. You and Jaune were awfully close when you were dancing. If you're interested in him, which I'm pretty sure you are, why not just say something to him? We've got all week together, and I'm sure Sun and I could help get him on his own for you."

"You and Sun are already THAT close? When's the wedding, Blakey?" Yang grinned, attempting to change the subject.

"No changing the subject! Yang, if you want Jaune, just go after him! We've known him forever, and you gave him your first kiss anyway!" Ruby shouted, causing Yang to flush as red as Ruby's hood.

Blake blinked at this new information, before smirking at Yang. "Look Yang, besides Ruby, I'm your best friend, right?" Yang nodded at her before she continued. "Well then as your best friend, listen to me. You like Jaune, and he seems to like you. If it were me, I would make a move, before someone else does."

Ruby let out a loud cough. "PYRRHA!" She coughed again, earning looks from both Yang and Blake. "What? Alright fine. I love Pyrrha! She's one of my best friends! But Yang, you're my sister, so I'm on team blondes!"

Yang laughed, taking Ruby's hand in hers. "Rubes…thank you. I'll take some time with Jauney this week, see if I can't get him alone, and not for what goes on in those books of yours, Blake!" She insisted, finally causing a blush to rise to the dark haired girl's face.

"Yang! Look, just…take some time with him, and try to make your move before Weiss convinces Pyrrha to do the same." Blake said honestly, looking Yang directly in the eyes.

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"So Pyrrha, I couldn't help but notice your attraction to Jaune back there. Mind explaining?" Weiss half asked half demanded of her friend, hands on her hips.

Pyrrha's face flushed bright red, and she rubbed her forearm nervously. "What?! Well, I mean, he's very talented, and handsome, and he's absolutely kind, as well as-"

"I get it! I'm sorry for that, but I get it. I suppose he's not the worst looking of the bunch, though I prefer Neptune. Now, Pyrrha Nikos, how are you going to win your man?!" At this, Weiss jumped up on the trashcan, balancing it under her before jumping off and moving it out of the way daintily.

"Win him? I mean, I had hoped to spend some time with him, maybe sing together a bit. I'm sure our voices would blend wonderfully together!" Her hands clasped together, a sparkle in her emerald eyes. "Though at this point I'm sure Yang has the same idea."

Weiss rolled her eyes. "Please, as if Yang stands a chance to you! I mean no offense to her in saying so, but Pyrrha, you're an angel! All you need to do is be yourself, and I'm sure Jaune will come running your way! After all, you're THE Pyrrha Nikos! You've been winning singing competitions since you were six!"

Pyrrha's half frown turned into a smile, taking Weiss' words to heart. "Alright Weiss, I suppose we can start tomorrow then! Now, how should we-"

A loud blare of the sound system interrupted the girls, causing them to rush back to the V.I.P. area in a panic, the groups reforming. "Ladies and gents! I mentioned a special surprise, and it's a good one!" Coco shouted, re-entering the stage. The curtain was closed behind her, though smoke was billowing from the stage. "As round one has completed, we, your lovely MC's have been given the privilege to perform! Well that, and as last year's winners, the judges couldn't say no! So without further ado, I present, 'Dark Roast'!"

Without warning, a bass was heard as the curtain flew open, orchestral keyboard joining in, with Velvet standing behind the keys and a dark skinned, red haired boy playing the bass. Coco ran back and grabbed her guitar as the large drummer joined in, the four breaking into a riff, before the redhead stepped forward to his mic, strumming the whole time.

(Caffeine - Jeff Williams/Casey Lee Williams)

 _[Verse 1: Fox Alistair]_

 _Listen up, strap in, notify your next of kin_

 _You're about to take a ride a little on the blazing side_

 _Guzzle down your Red Bull, you're gonna need a bucket full_

 _You're watching me accelerate, tear up on the interstate_

 _A certified monster, I'm an absolute trip_

 _Like Otis Redding, Hard to Handle, so you better get a grip_

 _Super fast, super fly, bonafide wise guy_

 _Call the morgue and say goodbye_

 _Write your will, it's time to die_

 _[Chorus: Fox, Coco, and Velvet]_

 _Caffeine_

 _I'm Caffeine (Caffeine)_

 _Caffeine_

 _I'm Caffeine (Caffeine)_

 _I'm a bad dream_

 _I'm a rad scene_

 _I'm a tad mean_

 _But I'm not afraid to take you out (afraid to take you out)_

 _Afraid to take you out (afraid to take you out)_

 _Afraid to take you out (afraid to take you out)_

 _Afraid to take you out_

 _[Verse 2: Coco]_

 _I'm a cheetah on the plains, I'm a highway star_

 _The supersonic princess in a million dollar car_

 _Blood on fire pumping through my veins_

 _Weaving in and out while I'm bolting through the lanes_

 _I'm hyperdrive, overdrive, hit the gas at fifty-five_

 _Break neck, trainwreck, in my presence genuflect_

 _Track-roundin', speed-a-soundin', electrifyin', pulse-poundin'_

 _Heart-pumpin', brain-thumpin', watch me get the party jumpin'_

 _[Chorus: Coco, Fox, and Velvet]_

 _Caffeine_

 _I'm Caffeine (Caffeine)_

 _Caffeine_

 _I'm Caffeine (Caffeine)_

 _I'm a bad dream_

 _I'm a rad scene_

 _I'm a tad mean_

 _But I'm not afraid to take you out (afraid to take you out)_

 _Afraid to take you out (afraid to take you out)_

 _Afraid to take you out (afraid to take you out)_

 _Afraid to take you out (afraid to take you out)_

 _Afraid to take you out_

 _Afraid to take you out_

 _[Guitar solo]_

 _[Bridge: Velvet]_

At this point, Velvet ran out from behind her keyboard and to everyone's shock, she began to rap.

 _Yo, listen up, I hope you like it hot_

 _Grab yourself a mug 'cuz I made a fresh pot_

 _Come and get a dose of my kickass java_

Velvet kicked the air at this, before jumping up and down as she rapped, Jaune and Co. in complete shock.

 _Fuelin' your addiction with this thick black lava_

 _We can do up an espresso, or the cappucino way_

 _Sure to get your fix, venti or grande_

 _Sugar, Splenda, Equal, maybe Sweet'N Low_

 _Everybody's happy when they hanging with Joe_

 _Let's go_

On her last lyric, Velvet raised her fist in the air, grinning wildly before joining Fox and Coco in the final chorus.

 _[Chorus: Coco, Fox, and Velvet]_

 _Caffeine_

 _I'm Caffeine (Caffeine)_

 _I'm Caffeine_

 _Caffeine (Caffeine)_

 _I'm a bad dream (yeah)_

 _I'm a rad scene (yeah)_

 _I'm a tad mean (yeah)_

 _But I'm not afraid to take you out (afraid to take you out)_

 _Afraid to take you out (afraid to take you out)_

 _Afraid to take you out (afraid to take you out)_

 _Afraid to take you out_

The crowd erupted with applause as 'Dark Roast' took their bows. Coco lightly slapped Fox on the butt, before being half tackled in a hug by Velvet. The drummer, Yatsuhashi stood up and gave a light bow, waving out to the audience. Up in the balcony, 'Red Like Roses' and 'Shining Arc' were in complete shock.

"We have to do as well at THAT to win?!" Sun shouted to the bands. "How can we even compete with that energy! And Velvet RAPPED. VELVET!" Neptune scratched the back of his neck, and Ren sat puzzled.

Jaune let out a sigh, before getting a serious look on his face. "Guys, enough moping! We'll get our points and placement for this round in the morning, so for now, we need to head up to the room and rest. Practice tomorrow at 10am! Understood?!"

Sun and Neptune looked at each other, before grinning and saluting towards Jaune. "Yes sir, general sir!" They grinned like idiots before standing up, Sun taking a moment to mention to Blake the plan for Jaune and Yang. She nodded towards him, sending Yang a glance to make a move.

"Jaune! Before you go, can we talk for a second?" Yang asked, stopping Jaune as he said goodnight to Ruby. "Please? It'll just take a minute."

Jaune nodded at her, before stepping aside. "I'll catch up guys! What's up, Yang?" He noticed the look in her eyes. "Is everything okay?"

Yang sighed, giving him an honest look. "Jaune, would it be possible for us to spend some time together tomorrow, just the two of us? I haven't seen you in so long, and you've grown up…ladykiller." She grinned at her last word, placing her hands on her hips.

Jaune paused for a moment, before grinning at her. "Yang, that sounds great. Why don't we meet up after our bands get some practice?"

"Sounds like a date to me, Jauney. See you in the morning!" She winked at him before sauntering off, swaying her hips slightly more than usual. _"Gotta lure the prey in. The hunt is on!"_ She thought, heading across the street with her friends to the hotel.

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OMAKE:

"Cardin, come on! We need a song for the preliminary round! Do we have anything good enough?" Dove shouted at his friend, earning a glare of anger, then receiving a sigh.

"I mean we have our usual stuff, but we need to impress those judges. I saw a video of last year's winners, and they were way too good to go up there and play garbage. Plus, we can't have people thinking we're soft." Cardin said, getting a knowing glare from his guitar player and drummer.

"Well Cardin, Sky and I may have come up with something dark, a truly satanic jam!" Russel said.

Cardin grabbed his bass to follow along. "Well don't just stand there like idiots!"

"Freestyle the opening Cardin, we have the chorus locked down tight. Just think evil thoughts!" Sky said as he began to strum out the opening notes.

"Oh yes, this is perfect!" Cardin shouted as he broke into a freestyle for the verse.

 _[Verse 1: Cardin]_

 _From the darkest pits of the deepest well_

 _We're Red Wings of Death and we've come from Hell_

 _You curse as the name passes your lips_

 _With the four horsemen of the rock-pocalypse_

 _Flying on the backs of flaming horses_

 _We'll ride into your town and leave nothing but corpses._

 _I'll kill your dad and scream obscenities_

 _The streets will flow with the blood of our enemies_

 _Death and destruction are all around_

 _We're motherfucking evil and we'll never slow down_

 _We are the nightmares you should be afraid of_

 _There is just one thing we love and that's:_

 _[Chorus: Sky and Russel]_

 _Cookies!_

Cardin nearly dropped his bass, coughing as Sky sang the first word. "What?!"

 _Cookies!_

 _Yaaaaay!_

 _Cookies!_

 _Pass the milk, please!_

 _Everybody loves cookies, hooray!_

Dove decided enough was enough, and broke Cardin out of his trance.

 _[Verse 2 Intro: Dove]_

 _AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH_

 _OH God SAVE ME_

 _I SEE DEMONS_

 _[Verse 2: Cardin]_

 _All your nightmares have come to life_

 _The horror survives in the darkness of night_

 _Take a final breath in our realm of hate_

 _And wish for death as we eat this plate of_

 _[Chorus 2: Sky and Russel]_

 _Cookies!_

 _They're the taste of happy!_

 _Cookies!_

 _Chocolate chips for everyone!_

 _[Chorus End: Cardin and Sky]_

 _THE DEMONS ARE CONSUMING ME!_

 _Everybody eat some cookies today!_

 _That fuckin' do anything for ya, Dark Roast?_

There was a pregnant pause, before the members of the band busted out laughing. "No way can we perform that! We'd get laughed off the stage so fast!" Cardin said, wiping a tear from laughing so hard.

"Let's just open with Sharkface! And hey, at least no one will ever see this!" Russel said, not noticing the blinking red light from the window…

 **A/N: Wow! Two chapters in two days! I was on a roll with these! I've had the opening songs planned out for a few weeks now, and there's gonna be a theme for a few of the bands. I'm always open to suggestions on the songs, as I've already received one for 'Shining Arc' and it's in my thought pile for round two of the competition! Also, more Yang and Jaune this chapter! Even got to throw in a bit of an Arkos moment with the dancing. My whole thing with Jaune in this story is that yes, he's still our lovable idiot, but the boy has moves. If you've ever had the ability to dance, well, it attracts women, hence Pyrrha and Yang slightly fawning over him. I'm trying to keep characters as close to their normal selves as possible, though obviously some differences will be there, as I'm not Miles and Kerry. But as usual, I hope you enjoyed chapter 3! Enjoy the ReNora moments, as we all know that one's blatantly obvious in this fic. Reviews are life by the way! I've gotten so much support on this so far, which really warms my heart and fuels my writing fire! So please, keep them coming! Thanks!**


	4. Practice and a Date

Battle of the Bands

Chapter 4: Practice and a Date

The sun rose on the city of Vale, shining bright over the Schnee Hotel. 'Red Like Roses' had been given two adjoining suites for their stay, and the girls were passed out. Unfortunately, there were things to do, and as the phone began to blare its ringer, there was a simultaneous groan from the six.

"Whaaaaaaaa-" Ruby cried out, rolling out of her bed onto the floor with a loud thud. "Who ordered the wake up call, and why did they not bring strawberries?!" She scowled, walking into the main living area.

Nora burst out of the sheets of the pull out couch with a grumpy look on her face. "Yeah! And the pancakes! Where are the pancakes?!" She looked around, smelling the air for the mapley goodness she knew and loved.

Blake yawned as she left her room, stretching her arms over her head, her black bow already tied in her hair. "If I had to guess, it was probably Weiss who gave us the rude awakening, as we probably have-"

"Work to do! That's right, Belladonna! Our scores should be sent to us any minute now, and we need to know where we stand against the other groups!" Weiss announced as she exited her room, already dressed and ready for the day. "I assume we'll be getting them via email or text message, or perhaps even a-"

"GOOOOOOD MORNING, CONTESTANTS!" The television screeched as it came to life, the face of Coco Adel coming into view. Yang and Pyrrha ran out of their rooms to see what the commotion was, giving each other slight glares as they walked out. "I hope you all slept well, and if you were still sleeping, get up! Last night was amazing! The thrills, the chills, the sounds! Our judges had a difficult time scoring such amazing groups, but it has been done! So, without further ado, our current rankings are as follows, and remember, the points will be tallied after each round to see where each group stands, and the points go in eight, six, four, and two! So, here we are: Eight points to 'Shining Arc', Six points to 'Red Like Roses', and Four points each to 'Red Wings of Death' and 'Never Miss a Beat'! Remember that you have today off to practice, prepare, and relax! This has been Coco Adel, your resident MC until Velvet wakes up! Oh, good morning Velv-" she was cut off as the broadcast shut down.

The room was silent, the girls each staring forward blankly until "WE'RE IN SECOND PLACE! WE AREN'T TERRIBLE!" Nora cheered, Ruby joining in with her as they locked arms and marched in a circle. Yang grinned, pumping her fist in the air, grinning at Blake.

"Stop cheering! We're only in second! The boys BEAT US. We must do better than that! Today is going to be all about practice, making sure we're perfect in the next round! No excuses!" Weiss ordered, stomping her foot on the floor."

Yang rolled her eyes, flopping backwards onto a recliner. "Oh relax, Weiss-cream! So we aren't in first! No big deal! There's still the next few rounds to catch up! And we're only two points behind! When we take first next round, we could tie it up, or even take first if the dorks mess it up!"

"Yang is right. In competitions, the important thing is to remember to stay calm, and never let your opponents psyche you out. We're still in second, and during our next performance we won't be rushed to start like last time. We should be performing third, so we have plenty of time before the performance tomorrow. Until then, we should eat breakfast, get dressed, and head to our designated practice area!" Pyrrha chimed in, getting nods from each of the girls and a surprised look from Yang.

"Very good! I've gone ahead and sent for room service, so we shall eat, and then we work our magic in the practice rooms! So now that we're all in agreement…Ruby! Cookies are not breakfast!" She ran towards the girl, chasing her around the room as the others laughed.

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Meanwhile, the boys were having a sleepy start, having stayed up late playing games on Ren's DustCube. Sun was sprawled out on the couch, snoring loudly. Neptune had stretched out on the recliner, snoring just as his friend did. Ren exited his room, sighing as he stretched, taking the time to put on a pot of coffee. He went about making breakfast in the in-suite kitchen, the smell of coffee and pancakes slowly filling the room, waking Sun and Neptune. The blonde and the blue quickly made their way to the counter bar, Ren rolling his eyes as he dished out food to his friends.

Jaune made his way out of his room, phone in hand as he searched for their scores. "Guys, we're in first! I don't know how, but we're in first!" He cheered, earning a woo from the band. Sun and Neptune high fived as they stuffed their faces, Ren merely smiling as he drank his coffee. Jaune grabbed a cup for himself and a few pancakes, pouring a copious amount of syrup on them. "Looks like the girls came in second, and the other two bands tied! I've got a good feeling about today!"

"Speaking of today, what should we practice? I mean we have our big number saved for the finale, and there's two potential rounds before that!" Neptune chimed in, having just downed a mouthful of pancakes.

"Wrhph iph we pway va fong ver vhe-" Sun started, his cheeks bulging with pancakes.

Neptune backed away in disgust. "Dude! Chew your food, swallow your food, THEN talk! Not cool!" Jaune laughed and Ren just rolled his eyes at the spiky haired blonde.

*GULP* "What I was saying was, what if we practice a simple number today, just as practice, but we save our good stuff for the actual performance?" Sun said, getting a nod of agreement from the others. "Besides, Jaune has a little date with Yang today, don't you, Jaune?" Sun smirked at his fellow blonde, laughing as color rushed to the boy's face. "Relax man! She clearly likes you, and your adrenaline will be pumping after we practice, so there's nothing to worry about!"

Neptune slapped Jaune on the back, grinning. "So Jaune, what are you two gonna do? Dinner, movie, a trip back to the room and f-"

"NEPTUNE!" Jaune shouted, his face beet red. "I just planned on hanging out with her, casually! Nothing like tha-"

Jaune was silenced as a hand came onto his shoulder. "Jaune, just take things slowly. From my experience, the best thing you can do is spend time with someone, letting things come naturally." Ren chimed in. "Just be yourself, and have fun with her. Never know what could happen."

"I guess you're right, Ren. But I'll worry about this in a bit, for now, everyone get showered and dressed, and we can head down to the practice room!"

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The girls walked into their practice area, admiring the view. Their instruments had been locked in here overnight, and all equipment was accounted for. "Alright, let's give 'Time to Say Goodbye' a go! That should be a good number for our next round. It's full of energy, and shows off our talents quite nicely!" Weiss half said/half ordered. She received eye rolls and nods, so she simply rolled her own eyes and made her way to her mic.

(Time To Say Goodbye - Jeff Williams)

 _[Verse 1: Weiss]_

 _There's a point where it tips, there's a point where it breaks_

 _There's a point where it bends and a point we just can't take_

 _Anymore_

 _There's a line that we'll cross and there's no return;_

 _There's a time and a place, no bridges left to burn anymore_

 _[Part two: Pyrrha]_

 _We can't just wait with lives at stake_

 _Until they think we're ready_

 _Our enemies are gathering_

 _The storm is growing deadly_

 _[Chorus: Weiss, Pyrrha, and Blake]_

 _Now it's time to say goodbye_

 _To the things we loved and the innocence of youth_

 _How the time seemed to fly_

 _From our carefree lives and the solitude and peace we always knew_

 _[Verse 2: Weiss and Pyrrha]_

 _There's a day when we'll fight and we're not gonna fall_

 _There's a day when we'll stand_

 _And a day when we won't crawl anymore_

 _There's a moment in time and there's no going back_

 _When we're pushed too hard and we won't hold our attack_

 _Anymore_

 _We can't just cling to childish things_

 _As evil just grows closer_

 _Humanity's in jeopardy_

 _This fight is far from over_

 _[Chorus: Weiss, Pyrrha, and Blake]_

 _Now it's time to say goodbye_

 _To the things we loved and the innocence of youth_

 _With a doubt in our minds_

 _Why we chose this life and at times we can't help wondering..._

 _[Bridge: Blake]_

 _Were we born to fight and die?_

 _Sacrificed for one huge lie?_

 _Are we heroes keeping peace?_

 _Or are we weapons_

 _Pointed at the enemy_

 _So someone else can claim a victory?_

Yang hefted her bass up, playing a few notes before Ruby shredded her way into a guitar solo, backed up by Yang and Nora, her hair flying as her head bobbed to the music.

 _[Chorus]_

 _Now it's time to say goodbye_

 _To the things we loved and the innocence of youth_

 _How the time seemed to fly_

 _From our carefree lives and the solitude and peace we always knew_

Nora gave out a loud woo as the girls clapped for themselves. "We've got this round in the bag! No one beats 'Red Like Roses' and gets away with it!" She cheered, earning a laugh from her friends.

"I agree with Nora! This round is totally ours!" Ruby cheered, jumping on Yang's back. The sisters romped around the room in a war chant, Nora joining in as Pyrrha, Blake, and Weiss just laughed. None of them noticed the door closing and a hand pulling away. "Oh! Yang, aren't you supposed to be meeting Jaune soon?"

Yang gasped, checking her scroll. "It's already noon?! I'm gonna be late, and I'm not one to leave a guy YANG-ing, am I right?"

Another simultaneous groan came from her friends. "Oh just go see the dolt already, Xiao Long. I can only handle so many of your puns per day before they start to wear on me."

Yang just grinned as she left, heading for the boys practice area. As she wandered the hallways of the hotel, she saw 'Dark Roast' enjoying their time at the coffee shop, snickering slightly as she passed. "A coffee named band hanging out in a coffee shop, I guess that's really rich…in flavor!" She said to no one in particular. She blinked, before shrugging off her own joke. "Meh, I'll save that one for later." She wandered a few more minutes before she saw a flash of blonde hair exiting a room. "Jauney!" She yelled as she ran and half tacked him to the ground.

Jaune looked up to the girl now half straddling him. "Well good morning to you too, Yang." He smiled, blue eyes meeting lilac, earning a smile in return. "You all already done with practice?" He asked, propping himself up onto his elbows.

Yang grinned, nodding as she removed herself from the blonde. "Yep! And don't think that just because you're in first that we've given up! 'Red Like Roses' is making a comeback, loverboy!" She lightly tapped him on his shoulder, both laughing.

"I wouldn't have it any other way! But hey, for now, let's just uh, well, you and me spend time together?" Jaune said/asked nervously.

Yang rolled her eyes, locking her arm to his. "Jaune, don't be nervous, okay? Just be yourself, that's how I li-I mean how we all like you!" She blushed ever so slightly, going totally unnoticed by Jaune.

"Well…I guess I can try that! So I was thinking that maybe we could get some lunch first? Ren made a huge breakfast, but by the time I got up, Sun and Neptune had eaten most of it. Hungry?" He asked her as they walked arm in arm.

She nodded, blonde locks waving. "Starved! Weiss ordered some dainty little princess meal from room service. Hardly a breakfast if you ask me!" Jaune laughed and she smiled. "How about we eat here? There's a chain back in Patch, and I think you'll like the food!"

Jaune grinned at her. "Sounds great to me! Though I can't say I've ever heard of 'Shopkeep Come and Get Your Noodles' before…

The pair walked inside, not noticing the two figures in trench coats and hats pop out from the bushes. "Nora, this is ridiculous. Do we really need to spy on Jaune and Yang?"

Nora looked at him, almost hurt. "Don't you like your skulking coat, Ren? I got in in green since that's your favorite color…" She kicked the ground slightly, looking downwards.

"Nora, I didn't mean anything like that." Ren said, not having the heart or courage to mention that his favorite color was actually pink. "I'm just saying, is it absolutely necessary to spy on Jaune and Yang? I'm sure the two of them would just tell us about it when they got back tonight." He looked at her honestly, before she burst out laughing.

"Of course it is, silly! We have to know what's going on so we can tell Blake and Ruby! I'd have gotten them coats to come along, but finding a red and black coat in early fall is just so difficult!" She said as her bright pink coat flapped around her, earning a look from Ren. "Now come on! We can't lose them inside!" Nora charged forward, dragging Ren behind her.

 _ **RWBYRWBYRWBYRWBYRWBYRWBYRWBYRWBYRWBYRWBY**_

"So I said to the guy, 'Rectum? Damn near killed him!'" Yang said, causing Jaune to burst out in laughter. She smiled at this, her inner self cheering. _"He laughed at my joke! No one ever laughs at my jokes!"_ She scooped up some of her noodles, slurping them down as Jaune recovered.

"You get into the craziest adventures, you know that?" Jaune said, still laughing. "So this Scarlet guy, what about him? He seems like an…interesting guy?" Jaune half questioned.

Yang rolled her eyes, smirking. "Scarlet is well…interesting? He's a bit weird though, always posing hypothetical questions, like, 'So you get a million lien, but…' type things. Well that and dumb questions like 'What if your legs…didn't know they were legs?'. Ridiculous, right?"

Jaune laughed, smiling once more at the blonde in front of him. "Completely. Hey Yang, don't mind me saying, but you look great today, by the way," he said, blushing slightly.

Yang smirked, cocking her head to the side. "Why THANK you, ladykiller. Gotta look good for you!" she said flirtatiously, causing Jaune to blush even further. "But really Jaune, I'm having a good time. I'm glad we're doing this." She laid her hand on top of his, giving it a slight squeeze.

As the two looked into each other's eyes, the bill came down in-between them, ruining the moment. Yang went to reach for it when Jaune suddenly snatched it up, laid some lien inside, and closed it. "Shall we be going?" He asked, standing and reaching his hand out to her.

Yang stopped for a moment, taking in Jaune's chivalry. _"Stupid blonde dork. But he's MY blonde dork, so I guess I'll let it slide this time."_ She smiled, taking his hand and walking out the door with him. "So what's next on our agenda for our little rendezvous?'

"Well, I was thinking maybe we could see the new Spruce Willis movie in the theater? I'd never expect a movie theater inside of a hotel, but the Schnee family loves to go big!" He smiled at her as they walked hand in hand towards the elevator.

"An action movie? You're speaking my language, Jauney! But don't think I'm letting you pay for tickets! You got lunch, I get the tickets. I'm a girl, but I can still pay just the same as you," she said seriously, giving him a stern look.

Jaune froze, his face going into shock. "Yang! I mean, I didn't mean to offend you or anything!" he stammered out.

Yang continued to glare at him as the seconds rolled on.

"PFFFFT! Ahahahahahahah!" Yang fell to her knees laughing.

Jaune stood there, utterly confused. "Uh, Yang?"

"You should have seen your face! I don't really care who pays, but you don't HAVE to pay for everything, Jaune. I can chip in whenever." She smiled at him, standing back up and winking at him again.

Jaune rolled his eyes, before pulling her to the ticket stand. "Just for that one, you're buying the popcorn, Yang."

"Done deal! Mama loves her some buttery goodness!"

 _ **RWBYRWBYRWBYRWBYRWBYRWBYRWBYRWBYRWBYRWBY**_

Meanwhile, in a practice room downstairs, a boy in a fedora sat watching a video clip on his scroll. "This is perfect, Neon! We have just enough time to tweak it for tomorrow. We're on first anyway, so it should throw the others off their game!" Flynt said, grinning slightly maliciously.

"I don't know about this guys, shouldn't we just play something of our-" the drummer began to say before Neon cut him off.

"Quiet, Kobalt! If we want to win, which we do, we have to do whatever it takes! Now, let's listen to this a few more times so we can make it ours." Neon said, voice full of nefarious intent.

Kobalt sighed and walked over to Flynt, looking down to the video of 'Red Like Roses' from their practice this morning.

OMAKE:

"Guys, can we talk about this please?" Jaune shouted as he was dragged into Sun's garage. "I told you, I just sing in the shower, really!"

Sun and Neptune shook their heads. "No way, Jaune! We're going to test you out by playing a classic! Everyone knows this one! If you manage to sing along, you're our singer, and if not, we'll let it go! Deal" Sun stuck his hand out.

Jaune sighed and shook Sun's hand. "Fine, let's just get this over with."

Sun headed to the drums, Ren picked up his guitar, and Neptune picked up his bass, the three beginning the opening chords and beats.

(Blitzkrieg Bop - The Ramones)

Jaune's eyes widened as he recognized the familiar beat. "Guys, really no I can-"

 _[Intro]_

 _EY, OH, LET'S GO_

 _EY, OH, LET'S GO_

 _EY, OH, LET'S GO_

 _EY OH, LET'S GO_

 _[Verse]_

 _They're forming in a straight line_

 _They're going through a tight wind_

 _The kids are losing their minds_

 _The Blitzkrieg Bop_

 _They're piling in the back seat_

 _They're generating steam heat_

 _Pulsating to the back beat_

 _The Blitzkrieg Bop_

 _[Chorus]_

 _Ey, oh, let's go_

 _Shoot'em in the back now_

 _What they want, I don't know_

 _They're all revved up and ready to go_

 _[Verse]_

 _They're forming in a straight line_

 _They're going through a tight wind_

 _The kids are losing their minds_

 _The Blitzkrieg Bop_

 _They're piling in the back seat_

 _They're generating steam heat_

 _Pulsating to the back beat_

 _The Blitzkrieg Bop_

 _[Chorus]_

 _Ey, oh, let's go_

 _Shoot'em in the back now_

 _What they want, I don't know_

 _They're all revved up and ready to go_

 _[Verse]_

 _They're forming in a straight line_

 _They're going through a tight wind_

 _The kids are losing their minds_

 _The Blitzkrieg Bop_

 _They're piling in the back seat_

 _They're generating steam heat_

 _Pulsating to the back beat_

 _The Blitzkrieg Bop_

 _[Intro]_

 _EY, OH, LET'S GO_

 _EY, OH, LET'S GO_

 _EY, OH, LET'S GO_

 _EY OH, LET'S GO_

Jaune shouted out the last note as the others played the final chords and beats behind him. "WAHOO! Looks like we have our singer!" Sun shouted, earning a cheer from Neptune and a nod from Ren.

"Well, a deals a deal, and an Arc never goes back on his word!" Jaune said, smiling from the rush he felt. "So what now?"

Sun shrugged, looking at Ren. "Dust Cube?"

Ren grinned, "Dust Cube."

 **A/N: BUM BUM BUMMMMMMM! That's right, Team FNKI is a bunch of lousy cheaters. Don't get me wrong, I loved them in Volume 3, but hey, every story needs a sub-antagonist, right? RIGHT! In regards to the placement and point system, I'll explain a bit.**

' **Red Like Roses' was late and caught off guard, so they lost points due to that. 'Shining Arc' dominated the first round with Chelsea Dagger, earning favor from the judges for their energy and sound. 'Red Wings of Death' and 'Never Miss A Beat' tied for third, as they were good, but they just weren't…there, ya know? But I've got plans for all four bands in the next few chapters, and round two songs have been chosen! I majorly appreciate the song suggestions that were sent in for 'Shining Arc', as that's the second person to suggest the boys performing a Def Leppard song! Who knows?**

 **Oh yeah, I do! But really though, the support I'm getting on this story is fantastic, so please, keep enjoying and keep those reviews rolling in! I'm trying to get these chapters out quickly, as I've had some down time at work recently to plot out point A to point B chapter wise while sitting there. Next chapter should be out within the next few days! Read, review, PLEASE REVIEW! Enjoy!**


	5. Feelings and a Change

Battle of the Bands

Chapter 5: Feelings and a Change

Jaune and Yang left the movies, arms linked and smiles on their faces. They tossed their popcorn into the trashcan, heading towards the lobby. As they walked, two figures in trench coats silently followed them, one sighing more and more as they walked, or rather, skulked.

"That was great, Jaune! The action, the thrill! Plus had a few scenes that mama Yang liked." She winked slyly at her fellow blonde, earning a blush and a grin. "Really though Jaune, I had a great time with you!"

Jaune grinned, squeezing her hand, mutually swinging their arms. "Well I'm glad! It was nice to have some alo- hey, watch it you…oh boy…" Jaune said as a tall boy bumped into him. "C-Cardin! Didn't expect to see you around here!" He scratched the back of his head nervously, before feeling his hand squeezed by Yang.

"Jaune, do you know this guy from somewhere else? I mean, I know he's in the competition, but still…"

Jaune sighed, "I'll tell you later, Yang. I promise. Cardin, what do you want?"

Cardin grinned a shit-eating grin, poking Jaune in the shoulder. "Oh nothing, Jauney boy! Just felt like having a word with you about the competition! What's say you and I go have a little conversation outside, like men?"

"If you're asking me to drop out, you can forget it. 'Shining Arc' is going all the way to the top!" Yang lightly bumped his shoulder. "Even if we lose to 'Red Like Roses'!" Yang gave him a look, as if to say 'Duh'.

Cardin sneered at the two, going to grab Jaune by his collar, before he felt his hand slightly crushed by Yang. She glared daggers at him, putting the fear of Oum into the boy. "Try that again, and your hand isn't the only thing I'll be crushing, now get out!" She threw his hand away, forcing him back.

Cardin squeezed his pained hand, glaring at the two of them. "You're both gonna pay for this! You'll see!" He stood back up straight, staring directly at Jaune. "Especially you, Jauney boy. Better watch your back." He stormed off, shoving past random movie patrons.

"Well…that was a thing." Yang said, sighing aloud. "What's he got against you anyway? I mean you two clearly know each other, so what's up?" She pulled him down to a bench and looked him in the eyes.

Jaune frowned, before letting out a breath. "After I moved to Haven city, I started getting bullied by him. He made my life a living hell honestly. We would be in gym class, and he'd just run up and throw me down as if I were nothing. I'd get back up, and he'd do it again. I got to the point where I was practically running to the locker room to change after class, just to maybe get away a bit faster. Didn't help that he was on my bus. One day, him and his…friends decided to torment me. They teased me, hit me, called me names, spat at me…you name it, they did it. Only one person stood up for me through it all, that being Ren, not that they listened to him. I got so fed up with Cardin that I turned and grabbed him, tears streaming down my face, voice cracking as I screamed at him to stop…to just stop…He laughed in my face, and shoved me off. After that…I ran. I ran off the bus at the first stop with them in pursuit. I tried to hide, but they found me…they found me and beat the dust out of me. Ren found me a few hours later, half awake and bleeding pretty badly. I hardly remember the ride to the hospital…but three broken ribs, a fractured wrist, and some cuts and lacerations. The police showed up at school the next day, and Cardin and the rest of them got kicked out, sent to juvenile hall, but he swore he'd never let me regret it. And now, 5 years later, here we are again. He's still bigger than me, still better than me…"

 _ **SLAP**_

Jaune's hand went to his face in pain, before it was covered by Yang's, who then pulled him into a hug, her tears staining his shirt. "Jaune…I'm so sorry…I never knew what happened to you after you left…how could someone be that cruel? How could anyone do something like that?!"

He pulled her closer, his own tears streaming into her hair. "I don't know! I haven't seen him since the hearing! I thought he'd either be locked up or something by now, but apparently not! I try to put on a good face, but this…how can I perform with him here, watching me?!" Jaune shivered, shaking with tears. "What if he tries something? What am I supposed to do?"

"Jaune…you aren't alone this time. You've got Ren, Nora, Neptune, Sun, Ruby, Pyrrha, Blake, heck, even Weiss! But most importantly…you've got me. I'm here for you, Jaune, so don't worry."

Yang held Jaune for another few minutes, letting him soak her hair in tears, and for once not caring that someone was ruining her hair. Passerbys looked on, taking in the blonde duo. It was nothing happy, nothing romantic, but a sight of pain and companionship.

Time seemed to sit still for the two of them. It could have been hours, minutes, days, who knew? Jaune eventually pulled out of the hug, blue eyes meeting lilac. Their heads tilted, inching towards the other. They were centimeters away…

"ATTENTION ALL CONTESTANTS! THE SCHEDULE HAS BEEN ALTERED! PLEASE MAKE YOUR WAY TO THE STAGING AREA IN THE NEXT TWO HOURS! THANKS!"

Jaune and Yang bolted apart, panicked looks on their faces! They looked each other in the eyes once more, the moment gone. "Yang…I-" He stopped as her lips touched his cheek.

"Break a leg tonight, loverboy." She smiled before running off to her room to prepare.

Jaune stood, frozen. "Tonight? OH CRAP THEY MOVED IT!" He ran off towards his room.

 _ **RWBYRWBYRWBYRWBYRWBYRWBYRWBYRWBYRWBYRWBY**_

Lights flickered to light on the stage as Velvet entered, this time wearing a top hat and accompanied by Coco. The duo grinned before getting the audience more into things. "Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to round two of the Battle of the Bands! Now I know you're wondering why we moved things up a day, and that's due to a judge having to leave early! The replacement will be here tomorrow, but the others wanted this first round judge one more go! So due to the placing of the last round, 'Red Wings of Death' will be going on first! So boys, if you're ready, let's get things rocking!" The pair walked offstage, grinning.

The curtain opened, and a guitar came to life in a solo. Soon the drums and bass came to life as Cardin and his cronies strummed things out.

(Woman - Wolfmother)

 _[Hook 1: Cardin]_

 _Woman_

 _You know you're woman_

 _You got to be a woman_

 _I got the feeling of love_

 _When you're_

 _You're talkin' to me_

 _You see right through me_

 _I got the feeling of love_

 _[Hook 2]_

 _She's a woman_

 _You know what I mean_

 _You better listen_

 _Listen to me_

 _She's gonna set you free_

 _Yeah-ah, yeah_

 _[Verse] (x2)_

 _Well you're kinda looking at me_

 _Like I've got to set you free_

 _I can't be nobody_

 _[Hook 2]_

 _[Hook 1]_

 _[Hook 2]_

They strummed out the final chords, earning cheers from the crowd, and nods from the judges. Cardin flipped the bird at the audience, earning some back in a weird form of respect.

"Well, they put some words into the music this time! Not many, but some! One more round of applause for 'Red Wings of Death'! To keep things going quickly, we need to get 'Never Miss A Beat' out right away, so they'll be on in a few minutes!"

'Red Like Roses' and 'Shining Arc' stood backstage, waiting to go on. They chatted among themselves, strumming chords and doing whatever. Weiss was warming up with Pyrrha, both trying to get Jaune to join them, to no avail. "Arc! If you go out there with a cold voice, you're going to ruin it, and as much as I would love an advantage, that wouldn't be right, so warm up!" Weiss ordered, earning a laugh from everyone. Jaune shrugged and stood, doing breath exercises from them.

'Never Miss A Beat' started passing by with their instruments, earning a friendly wave from Nora and Ruby. "Hey you all, break legs out there!" Ruby shouted.

Neon and Flynt looked at each other before looking at Ruby. "Oh don't worry, little red, we're going to blow the roof off this place." Flynt smirked and sauntered off, his band in tow.

Ruby looked at the others and raised her eyebrows. "Well that was weird. Wonder what it was all about?" She questioned, earning quizzical looks and shrugs.

Coco and Velvet re-entered the stage at this point, tossing glowsticks into the audience. "Okay everyone, without further ado! You loved their funky fresh rhythms in round one, so give it up for 'Never Miss A Beat'!

(Time To Say Goodbye - James Landino's Beach Bae Remix)

 _Theres a point where it tips_

 _Theres a point where it breaks_

 _Theres a point where it bends_

 _And a point we just can't take_

 _anymore_

Yang and the girls mouths dropped open. "They stole our song! OUR SONG!" Yang shouted, her voice drowned out by the beats. 

_Theres a line that we'll cross and there's no return_

 _Theres a time and a place_

 _No bridges left to burn_

 _Anymore_

 _We can't just wait with lives at stake_

 _Until they think we're ready_

 _Our enemies are gathering_

 _The storm is growing deadly_

 _Now its time to say goodbye_

 _To the things we loved_

 _And the innocence of youth_

 _How the time seemed to fly_

 _From our carefree lives_

 _And the solitude and peace we always knew_

The band began to break down into a further techno beat, adding in some recordings of Neon's vocals. The crowd and judges cheered as the beats dropped.

 _Were we born to fight and die?_

 _Sacrificed for one huge lie?_

 _Are we heroes keeping peace?_

 _Or are we weapons?_

 _Pointed at the enemy_

 _So someone else can claim a victory?_

'Never Miss A Beat' finished the song, continuing to use techno riffs and versions of Neon's vocals throughout the song. The crowd roared as the group took their bows, the sound deafening as they cheered.

Yang and the others stood dumbfounded as they watched the other band exit the stage. "What are we supposed to do?! That was our song for this set! We're finished! We simply can't go on, we-"

 _ **SMACK**_

Weiss held her hand to her face, looking at Ruby. "Snap out of it princess! We've been through worse! Now we need ideas! Nora, what about your song?"

Nora went from shocked to panicked at the mention of 'her' song. "Eheheheh, Ruby! Are you sure that's such a good idea? I mean sure it's cute, but I don't know if it's really us! Plus Ren's sitting right there and if he hears it then-" 

_**SMACK**_

"Nora! We need you! You wrote this song, and it's really good! It's time to break it out and use it! Pyrrha can drum this round, because YOU need to sing it! Yang can back you up on vocals with Weiss!" Ruby looked her ginger haired friend in the eyes.

Nora looked at the rest of the girls, each giving a face of reassurance. "Well, okay then! Let's get ready to rock, Nora style!" The girls cheered as they headed on stage, waiting just behind the curtain. Pyrrha took her place at the drum, the others thanking Oum that she was a gifted musical prodigy when it came to instruments.

"Well folks, we're going to keep things moving here with 'Red Like Roses'! Sorry for the fast night, but we're on a schedule!" Velvet announced quickly before dashing back behind the curtain.

The curtain opened to reveal Pyrrha on drums, Blake at the keys, Ruby with her precious guitar in hand, and Nora taking center stage at the mic. Yang and Weiss stood at either side of her, with mics of their own.

(Boop - Jeff Williams/Casey Lee Williams)

 _[Pre-Verse 1: Nora]_

 _Never knew a time_

 _When you weren't by my side_

 _The one thing I could always count on_

 _Always there for me_

 _You've been my family_

 _Even when all other hope was gone_

 _But for a while things have seemed so different_

 _Like it's the same but so brand new_

 _I can't believe it_

 _When did I start to fall for you?_

As the tempo began to pick up, Yang and Weiss began to sway their hips to the beat.

 _[Verse 1: Nora]_

 _Have I lost my mind?_

 _Have I just been blind?_

 _Never to have seen you might be_

 _Everything I need_

 _Everything I dream_

 _All along has it been right in front of me?_

 _We've been together for a long, long, long, long time (I never thought that you and I could be a thing)_

 _I can't believe it!_

 _This is happening!_

 _[Chorus: Yang, Nora, and Weiss]_

 _I think... oh, well, what am I to do? (Ooh-Ooh-Ooh)_

 _I didn't know that I would fall in love with you!_

 _And what to do right now?_

 _I haven't got a clue_

 _I just bite my tongue_

 _And when I want to say I love you I'll say (Boop Boop Boop Boop)_

 _Boo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oop (Boop Boop Boop Boop)_

 _Boo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oop (Boop Boop Boop Boop)_

 _Boo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oop…_

The boys looked at Ren, having remembered Nora's physical 'booping' of his nose the night before. He blushed, and the guys laughed at their magenta eyed friend.

 _[Verse 2: Yang and Nora]_

 _Every chatelaine_

 _Wants to share her reign_

 _So come and join me in my castle_

 _We'll crush our enemies_

 _Bring them to their knees_

 _I know I have a tendency to babble..._

 _But when I think about you_

 _I can't help my heart from racing_

 _My mind goes fast and my knees start shaking_

 _My stomach does flips and my brain does flops_

 _And these feelings that I'm feeling_

 _I don't think that I can stop!_

 _I could just say it_

 _I love your everything_

 _But I can't quite tell myself_

 _If you're feeling quite the same_

 _Maybe I should slow it down_

 _Try to show restraint_

 _Hold Magnhild!_

 _I think I'm gonna faint!_

Ruby broke out into yet another solo as usual, the crowd eating it up as she shredded out the power chords. The boys cheered from backstage, enjoying the show.

 _[Chorus: Yang, Nora, and Weiss]_

 _I think... oh, well, what am I to do? (Ooh-Ooh-Ooh)_

 _I didn't know that I would fall in love with you!_

 _And what to do right now?_

 _I haven't got a clue_

 _I just bite my tongue_

 _And when I want to say I love you I'll say (Boop Boop Boop Boop)_

 _I'll say Boop! (Boop Boop Boop Boop)_

 _Boop boop boop boop boop boop boop! (Boop Boop Boop Boop)_

 _When I want to say I love you I'll say (Boop Boop Boop Boop)_

 _Boo-oop!_

 **The girls finished their song, and the world went crazy. People cheered, babies were kissed, world peace was estab-**

 **Who are we kidding, none of that happened. Well the crazy part maybe.**

The judges actually stood and clapped for the group, something they hadn't seen other than in the video of last year's finals. Coco ran on stage as the girls took their bows, Nora grinning wildly at Ren. He smiled as the girls left the stage, the crowd still roaring.

"That. Was. Amazing! Talk about a crowd pleaser! We've had these hard rock boys, the techno group, and now the jamming, yet versatile ladies! For our final act of the night, let's give it up for our day one champs, 'Shining Arc'!"

The boys took the stage no different from before, grinning as the crowd cheered for them, and still a bit for the girls. "Ready guys?" Jaune asked the others, getting a nod in response. "Alright then, Neptune, hit it!"

Neptune broke out into a bass line, and Jaune let out a loud "WOO!" as Sun and Ren joined in, matching up with Neptune's beat. "Oh yeah!" Jaune sang as the song began.

(Escape From the City - Crush 40)

 _[Verse 1: Jaune]_

 _Rolling around at the speed of sound_

 _Got places to go, gotta follow my rainbow_

 _Can't stick around, have to keep moving on_

 _Guess what lies ahead, only one way to find out!_

 _Must keep on moving ahead_

 _No time for guessing, follow my plan instead_

 _Trusting in what you can't see_

 _Take my lead I'll set you free_

 _[Chorus: Jaune]_

 _Follow me, set me free_

 _Trust me and we will escape from the city_

 _I'll make it through, follow me_

 _Follow me, set me free_

 _Trust me and we will escape from the city_

 _I'll make it through prove it to you_

 _Follow me!_

 _Oh yeah!_

 _[Verse 2: Jaune]_

 _Danger is lurking around every turn_

 _Trust your feelings, got to live and learn_

 _I know with some luck that I'll make it through_

 _Got no other options, only one thing to do!_

 _I don't care what lies ahead_

 _No time for guessing, follow my plan instead_

 _Find the next stage, no matter what that may be_

 _Take my lead, I'll set you free_

 _[Chorus]_

 _Follow me, set me free_

 _Trust me and we will escape from the city_

 _I'll make it through, follow me_

 _Follow me, set me free_

 _Trust me and we will escape from the city_

 _I'll make it through prove it to you_

 _Follow me!_

 _Follow me!_

 _Follow me!_

Jaune sang out his final notes as the others let out their final chords. The crowd once again cheered, one judge taking the chance to stand and clap. Wolf whistles were heard from the audience, one coming from the V.I.P. area. Jaune looked out to see a mane of blonde hair, and caught the wink she sent him. He grinned, grabbing his mic. "Thanks everyone! We are 'Shining Arc'!

The boys took their bows and headed off as the curtain closed. Velvet and Coco walked back center stage a few minutes later, envelope held in hand. "Alright everyone! We're announcing your placements tonight! Currently in third, we have 'Red Wings of Death'!"

The group in particular cheered from the bar area, having taken solace there. "And now our first place for tonight goes to…'Red Like Roses'! We then have 'Shining Arc' in second, and 'Never Miss A Beat' in fourth, meaning that they are eliminated!"

The girls of 'Red Like Roses' cheered, Nora and Ruby hugging and jumping around in circles. "We're tied for first with the boys! And those lousy cheaters are gone! This day is perfect!" Ruby shouted.

OMAKE:

"Well look at that, Qrow! Ruby and Yang's group made it to the semi finals!" Taiyang said, sipping his tea. "Oh, they're showing a highlight reel!"

Qrow rolled his eyes, glancing at the screen. He knew they'd be fine, after all, he taught Ruby everything she knew on guitar. "Tai, we both taught them. Why is there any doubt?" He asked as he sipped from his flask.

Taiyang laughed. "Well no, no doubt! Though that group that went on after them tonight sure was something! The singer reminds me of someone, but I just can't place my finger on who…"

Qrow watched the highlight reel of the aftermath from the previous night, with Jaune dancing with Pyrrha and then Yang, getting closer to each girl. "Lucky blonde haired bastards, always with all the luck with the ladies for no apparent reason!" He muttered into his flask.

"What was that, Qrow?" Taiyang looked at him quizzically.

"Nothing…"

 **A/N: Hello everyone! I apologize for the week off without an update! I had myself a crazy week at work, and hadn't had the time to bust out this chapter! I decided to do a full round in one chapter, as it allows for things to advance. THANK YOU to anyone who sent in song suggestions (though they were all for Shining Arc!) as they helped me out finding things in the genre of music for the boys. I'd love some more input on songs, ESPECIALLY for Cardin's group. They're a difficult group to pick a song for, so please, send in suggestions! Also, I went a bit deep at the beginning of this chapter. I took some things from my personal life, and then made them worse and applied them to Jaune, as he's the kind of kid this would happen to. Jaune would get bullied constantly, and without someone to protect him at the time, he'd get hurt. We'll see how this will effect he and Yang later on, but for now, I hope you all enjoyed! As always, review please! LET ME KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS!**


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